Presenting at EXPO 2008

On Thursday, May 22nd from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. I will be participating in a panel discussion at the 2008 Vermont Business and Industry Exposition (EXPO for short).

The topic for Senator Patrick Leahy’s 13th Annual e-Business Seminar is Creating A Buzz About You and Your Business: Should You Be Marketing Yourself and Your Company Using Social Networking Sites?"

I will be presenting a general overview of social networking, what it is and I will demo several of my sites (and I'll sprinkle in a bit of the overall social media concept too!). I am lucky enough to be presenting with a great group of people -- all experts in this area.

• Dave Winslow, EpikOne: Integrating Web 2.0 / Social networking sites into your online presence, pros and cons.
• Ted Adler, Union Street Media: Some real world examples, integrating Web 2.0 / Social networking sites into your online presence, pros and cons
• Nicole Ravlin, PMG: Marketing using Web 2.0 / Social Networking applications
• Dan Cypress, Realtor: An end users experiences

It promises to be GREAT fun!

So, what will I talk about? Well, in the spirit of the topic, here is my outline. I'll bring this up in the session and walk people through it all!

PRESENTATION BY ELAINE YOUNG ON SOCIAL NETWORKING AND WEB 2.0

• General overview of Social Networking. The best place to start? Why Common Craft, of course! (notice how I use social networking site YouTube!)
  

• There are many different social networks available that specialize in anything from flower arranging to Baby Boomers to college students and many things in between.
  
  
• While it is easy to see why consumers would use social networks, it is less clear as to how and why businesses might use them.
  
  
• The secret to knowing if, as a business, you should use a social network is knowing....(hint, if you read my blog, you'll know!)....
  
  If your TARGET MARKET is using a social network? And if they are, which one are they using?
  
  
• As a business you can create a presence on a social network by JOINING and creating a page or by ADVERTISING on the social network.
  
  
• As a businessperson you can increase your professional connections by belonging to a social network.
  

Examples of social networks and social media I use to promote my work as a professor are:

• My Blog (http://champlainprofessor.blogspot.com/) -- builds credibility and online visibility
  
  
• My Faculty Website (http://cosmos.champlain.edu/people/younge) -- affiliates me with my work
  
  
• My Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=68900537) -- connects me to students
  
  
• My LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/elainejyoung) -- connects me professionally
  
  
• Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ejyoung67) -- connects me professionally and personally
  
  
• NetVibes (http://www.netvibes.com/ejyoung67) -- builds credibility and shows others what I'm paying attention too.
  
  
• Ning (http://www.ning.com/) -- where you can create your own social network. I belong to AdGabber.
  
  

Why do I use them? Because my target market is in both places -- my students and my professional contacts.

Why should you use them? Only you can answer that -- start with your target market and then you tell me -- although I will give you a hint: set a goal and use the social networks/social media to help you achieve that goal and measure your success. But wait until the end of the rest of the panelists...they'll tell you even more!